BROADCASTS.com

\u201cI wanted to prove to everyone that all the sacrifices I\u2019d made and dumb decisions I made were worth it.\u201d Nick Symmonds was a professional track and field athlete for 12 years, specializing in the 800 meters. He made two Olympic teams \u2014 the first when he was just 22 years old \u2014 and represented Team USA in Beijing and London. Nick, who lives in Eugene, OR, and is the CEO of Run Gum, retired from professional racing last year, and is now a proud, self-professed \u201chobby jogger.\u201d He made his marathon debut at the 2017 Honolulu Marathon, and is now training to break three hours in the 26.2-mile distance this spring. Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll get in this episode: \u2014 How Nick got into running (3:20) \u2014 When he realized he could make a career out of running and the life-changing training decision that launched his professional career (5:20) \u2014 Nick\u2019s advice for mastering the 800m (8:45) \u2014 What it\u2019s like competing at the Olympics (11:00) \u2014 When he was \u201cthe most nervous he\u2019s ever been for a race\u201d (12:35) \u2014 How Nick developed his mental strength and overcame \u201cthe rollercoaster of emotions\u201d (14:00) \u2014 The sacrifices he made to become an Olympian (16:45) \u2014 How he made the decision to retire in 2017, and how he felt the day after his retirement (17:45) \u2014 Why he wanted to run a marathon (20:45) \u2014 Why he says the Boston Marathon pisses him off and \u201cis B.S.\u201d and that running it would be going against his core beliefs (26:00) \u2014 The Run Gum story (30:00) \u2014 What Nick sees as the biggest problems in professional track and field (35:00) \u2014 Nick\u2019s take on doping in professional sports and lifetime bans (37:00) \u2014 The latest on Nick\u2019s love life \u2014 plus how he ended up on a date with Paris Hilton (40:40) Follow Nick: Instagram @nicksymmonds: https://www.instagram.com/nicksymmonds/ Twitter @nicksymmonds: https://twitter.com/NickSymmonds Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.symmonds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeXJQ2GQh4BoRuAEkteU0Wg Website: https://www.nicksymmonds.com/ Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliontherun/ Twitter @aliontherun1: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you\u2019re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!